


Hammering Out the Dents

by Webtrinsic



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hammer aint so bad, Not Iron Man 2 Compliant, Peter can sew because he is a spider, Peter is rightfully upset, Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Reconciliation, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:26:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26209402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Webtrinsic/pseuds/Webtrinsic
Summary: Justin Hammer offers Peter Parker a job after the boy's falling out with Tony Stark.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Justin Hammer, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 10
Kudos: 103





	Hammering Out the Dents

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nicolemoon8](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicolemoon8/gifts).



> Another finished work from my unfinished works/Drabbles!!!
> 
> again i will ride hard on the fact i think peter deserved to be upset with tony after the vulture, if only for a little while
> 
> also so many sam rockwell references because i am like in love with him always???!!!

When Peter and Ned escaped school at the sound of the bell. Peter didn't think he'd be approached by one of Tony Stark's top competitors. Both in weapons and now everything else. But, of course, Tony didn't sell weapons anymore, not that Peter actually cared. It'd been quite a while since the boat and his misadventures in vigilantism.

"Peter!" The man said excitedly, causing Ned to jump. More focused on the slick car in front of him before his focus turned to the tall confident dirty blonde who was looking at Peter as if he were a fallen angel. Justin Hammer. Peter's eyes widened when a white-gloved hand was placed on his shoulder, "Why don't we have a talk?" Hammer smiled.

His tone continuously drawing the younger in. Peter truly understood why he was such a good businessman. He sounded as if he knew what you wanted before even you did. And maybe he did, maybe that was why he was here.

Hammer led the young boy a few paces away from Ned to truly address him. Making him feel as if he was the only person whose attention was worth his time. And Peter couldn't help but return the smile aimed at him. Maybe it was the nerves, or maybe the man's smile was just that infectious.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Peter," He offered his free hand. Never once pulling the one on the boy's shoulder away. It kept Peter grounded since his head was floating with the fact another genius billionaire was giving him the time of day. But he was...warmer, more approachable than Tony had been. Peter was sure he was being treated as an equal and enjoyed it to no end.

Peter shook his hand back, "It's nice to meet you too," He silently cursed when his stutter hit his tongue on the T, but Hammer didn't seem to mind.

"The pleasure's mine Mr. Parker. How'd you like to grab a coffee, get that bag off your shoulders? Then we can talk, too noisy out here."

"Um...yeah, yeah that'd be okay," Peter responded after a second, not noticing the Audi pull up behind him or Ned's jaw drop from both his eavesdropping and when Tony Stark got out of said Audi.

Tony’s eyes were burning at the sight of his rival's hand on the young genius' shoulder, the two so obviously lost in their conversation that they didn't even notice him. Happy got out of the car tersely as well, assessing if the arms dealer was any threat to the boy he dearly wished to apologize to.

Hammer moved and led Peter to the car, unintentionally blocking the boy from the two’s view. Keeping a firm hand on the boy's shoulder as he opened the car door. Peter stepped forward, just about to slide in until another arm pulled him back.

"Don't they teach you kids not to get in the car with strangers?"

"Ah Mr. Stark, fancy meeting you here," Hammer spoke conversationally, keeping his hand on the top of the open door.

"Yeah, funny seeing you here. Kidnapping my intern," Tony spit, his hand preoccupying the space on Peter's shoulder and holding tight. Peter hated it. Cringed at how it hadn’t been as comforting as Hammer's hand had been. 

Devastated at how he was once again  _ "my intern" _ when he'd been abandoned. And he absolutely loathed how he’d worded it. He wasn't Tony's anything, let alone his responsibility.

"Didn't you let him go? Then again you always threw out anyone that could possibly care about you, let alone work well with you," Hammer struck back.

"You're bothering my kid so you can use him to find out what he knows about me. But you're wasting your time. He doesn't know anything," Tony stated with a venom dripping from his tongue. The thought hurt Peter's head but the ache quickly went away at Hammer's words.

"I don't want anything other than an intern, you let him go like he was nothing. He's smart, incredibly so. And I must be smarter than you for wanting to give him a chance for a great future. You showing up now only to say he's yours again when a new offer is up isn’t the smartest way of going about things."

"You don't know what you're talking about," The man of Iron growled, Peter had been too in his head and hadn't noticed the inventor's hand had practically dug into his shoulder. It frustrated him when he couldn't bring himself to move away.

Hammer just wanted to talk. It was just a talk. It wasn't anything else. Didn't he have the right to decide? Wasn't he capable of doing something as little as having a conversation? Hammer was giving him the freedom to choose for himself, Tony wasn't. 

Jerking from the hero's touch, Peter got in the car, his shoulder burning.

Hammer shut the door behind the boy, winking at the shocked hero before making his way to the driver's side. The slam of the door and revving of the engine not nearly enough to spur Tony into grabbing the door handle. But they'd already pulled away. 

Tony watching helplessly as the sleek silver car faded away into the cities traffic and turn around the corner.

"He just did that," Ned gaped. Looking at the two frazzled adults. Tony's face carefully blank as he silently pivoted on his heel and got into the backseat of the car. Upping the divider before burying his head in his hands. Happy stepped in a moment later, driving the man home. Unwilling to lower the divider, it didn't matter anyway; he wouldn't have known what to say in the first place.

* * *

_ "My Type," _ by Saint Motel started to play throughout the vehicle. Hammer’s gloved hand moving gracefully in turning the dial so the music grew louder. Peter smiled at that. The upbeat music, the swaying and joyful singing of the older man. It helped rid the fingers Peter still felt digging into his shoulder.

Pulling up to a quaint little coffee shop as the song ended, Peter moved to get out. The comforting gloved hand returning to his shoulder.

"Are you alright Peter? I know it was probably hard running into him. But you should know I'm here for you, not who you once worked with."

Peter nodded, "Thank you. I'll... I'll be okay," The pair walked inside, the teen moving to grab his wallet. Hammer chuckling and assuring the boy he got it. Peter knew he wouldn't be able to sit still if he drank any coffee so he opted for some hot chocolate now that the weather had been getting colder.

This made the older man smile, surprising the teen by rather than sitting across from him, he sat beside him. Something about too much real estate between them. The two quickly began talking about all the things Peter wanted to make. Genuine smiles lighting their faces as they built off each other's ideas. Hammer swiftly pulled out a special calling card he'd had made for the boy before offering to take him home.

He hadn't realized they'd been there for at least four hours. He was a sweet kid he noted on the drive home. And in his mind, it ensured one thing. He was a smarter man than Mr. Stark.  _ Who in their right mind would let that boy go? _

* * *

Peter keeps the card even when he meets with Mr. Hammer the next day to explain he can’t be the man’s intern. Hammer looks upset but he’s incredibly understanding, especially when the boy explains he’d keep the job in mind but the timing wasn’t right.

It wasn’t the only reason, Peter had been toying with the idea of suiting up again but it would take time to resew a suit, his bloodied and torn one was neatly folded and sealed in a ziploc hidden in the ceiling. He couldn’t bring himself to part with it.

His consciousness also would have never let him accept the offer, he knew he’d be saying no the second he’d gotten in the car actually. It had been fun to entertain the thought and make Mr. Stark feel the weight the man had placed on him.

It’d never, and would never be anything permanent. 

* * *

He doesn’t know how Tony finds him in the craft store, no one is there either to gawk and sadly Peter can’t run and hide in the empty halls. 

“It seems you didn’t take Hammer’s offer,” Tony tries to level him with a glare but Peter busies himself with reading the labels on the small packages of clay so he doesn’t become hypnotized like how a snake traps its prey in all the cartoons.

“If you actually thought I’d say yes then you obviously don’t know me,” It comes out harsher than Peter intends but he doesn’t feel bad, it’s the truth and he can’t make it come out any softer even when he originally wanted it to.

“Well maybe I don’t but you seemed to even surprise your friend Ned when you got in the car,” Peter knows he’s pushed the man’s buttons because there is anger and hurt in the man’s tone that he is doing nothing to hide and Peter can't hide from.

They are lucky no one else is occupying the store because he surely would have brought attention to them then.

It is a chore to be gentle as Peter tosses the light blue clay into his basket resting on the ground so he doesn’t squeeze it in his hands. A mistake because the man is now looking down and hyper focused on the red and blue fabric, his eyes from where they are peaking above his glasses are instantly filled with fear.

“No,” it is ground out of his mouth and Peter is not listening as he browses the other colors, tossing a red and yellow package on top of the fabric, unkeen to argue because he’d be going out as Spider-Man whether Tony liked it or not.

He could tell Tony that fact but it’s clear the other man already knows if his next words mean anything, and they do, “If you’re going to keep doing what you’re doing, at least let me help damnit,” it’s tempered down and Peter actually stops then.

“Why?” Neither expect the question but since it is in the air it needs to be answered.

“Because I want to get to know you kid,” it’s soft and earnest, and Tony wouldn’t admit to anyone else that he pleaded then, “Please kid, let’s talk, get something to eat,”

The teen nods dumbly, picking up his basket only to have it taken, Tony pays for it all, even the fabric, before they head out to the car. Happy isn’t there and it’s almost odd to see the man driving.

“Thank you,”

The billionaire shrugs like its nothing and Peter guesses it is.

* * *

Peter doesn’t become an Avenger but he does become something of a son to the man of iron. He gets a letter every month in the mail until Hammer’s business goes bankrupt, and he uses the fabric Tony bought to make a stuffed animal of himself. Tony goes back to the craft store to get some yellow fabric for a mini iron man and the rest of the blue fabric is made into a little shield but Tony never sees that one.

The clay is made into a plethora of little different things his aunt and Ned find endearing.

The teen runs into Justin Hammer one more time after that, the same coffee shop the man had taken him to before because quite frankly Peter had gotten a little addicted to their hot chocolate.

He tells the man thank you and the blond doesn’t quite understand, will never understand but they sit and have their drinks. The man is on the other side of the table this time but he’s just as warm even when he's lost everything.

Maybe in a different world if Tony didn’t exist and Hammer wasn’t so morally ambiguous maybe they’d have made a good team. But Tony had successfully hammered out the dents here, and it personally was a much more suitable arrangement for the arachnid.

**Author's Note:**

> Snap: allisonw1122  
> Tumblr/twitter: webtrinsic1122  
> Insta:Webtrinsic


End file.
